Purusha

Pure consciousness, the witnessing principle that observes all experience. In Samkhya-Yoga philosophy, purusha is immutable, eternal, and completely distinct from prakriti (material nature).

Purusha doesn’t act or change; it simply observes. The fundamental confusion (avidya) arises when it identifies with the movements of the mind, believing itself to be the one who thinks, feels, or suffers.

The goal of classical yoga is the discernment (viveka) between purusha and prakriti, recognizing that consciousness has always been free — it was only obscured by mistaken identification.